Today is our last breakfast at the Teaching Hotel…aka the Castle and 5 star hotel! I'm so sad to be leaving here. I believe I loved Maastracht the best! But all good things must come to an end, so let's hope Belgium is fabulous!
We visited a wonderful primary school which had students from the ages of 2 and a half to 12 years old. The principal was so proud of her school and she had the right to be! It was such a creative school that was made up of mostly low socio-economic students. She even told us that her students score better on the tests then over 'more wealthy' schools. I was so pleased to hear this. This school might have lacked technology such as smart boards and iPads, but the kids were super happy. The school focused on artsy decorations and lots of activities with reading. This last school visit is definitely one of the best primary schools we've seen in this trip. I thought it was absolutely adorable that the kids were introducing themselves to us saying… I am…(insert name)….You could tell that they were happy to see us and be a part of the conversation. I commend the principal for letting us go into nearly every classroom and interrupt the lessons. Oh, also, the kids had a lot of outdoor space, which is needed because they mostly live in small apartments with little backyards. Another thing I noticed was that the bathrooms were super open in the younger grades. The toilets did not have any coverings; it was literally ten toilets in a row. This was shocking to all of us! The differences in this school were dramatic, but it seemed like they did a wonderful job stimulating their students. We saw a wall of alumni and all of their accomplishments. This is so important for students and parents to see as hope that their children can go on to higher education, even if they are poor. I found this school incredible! The principal ordered us sandwiches and then we were on our way back on the coach bus to Brussels, Belgium. 
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The hostel is truly a disappointment. I am really upset that some UMD students are sharing a bedroom with random strangers! I am also upset that they don't provide towels for showers! Once I get to NY, I will be super dirty…OH well! As a group, we decided to stay out of the hostel as long as possible. After throwing down my suitcase and chatting with my roomies, Anna, Emilie, and Annie, we were off to Parliament. I learned how complex Parliament and how many countries have joined in recent years. I thought it was hard to make a museum that can be used by people of so many languages. I found the museum to be a little dry in some areas, but I really appreciated the computers that moved to certain places around Europe. I learned that Italy has been conserving a lot of gas by sharing cars and they've decreased their oil intake, which is fabulous.
Then as a group we went to dinner in the restaurant area, which was a long cold walk from the Parliament museum. We went to a restaurant with a prefixed menu. I got tasteless vegetable soup, chicken with fries, and a belgium waffle for dessert. It was a nice meal because we had great laughs. The food in Europe has definitely been hit and miss, but I've still had lots of good times during all of the meals! :D
Emilie, Annie, Emily, Amy, Anna, Christina, Jake, and David Clark went to a bar for a few drinks. It was tons of fun! We danced and sang karaoke! It was so fun! I had a local beer and a rum and coke, so it wasn't a crazy night. We stayed out until 12:45am and then took the short walk back to the hostel together. Anna and I stayed in another room because we didn't feel safe in our room. I slept with Christina and Anna slept with Amy. It was comforting to have someone in the bed with you when you are staying in a sketchy hostel.
I think we made the most of tonight!
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